DCist: Taxi Meter Injunction Denied

naalex

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:06:06 -0500

Why is it that when someone is critical of anything, the target of that criticism is automatically labeled as being "so DC"? So people in other cities don't correct each other? I'd say everyone else is just stupid then.

IMGoph

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:37:21 -0500

i love how people call us lame for correcting people on dcist. it's so lame. META!

DudeLooksLikeALady

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:53:46 -0500

@suances: I agree with you that a $1,000 "warning" is about as useful as a $1,000,000,000 one, but consider that it's theoretically possible those warnings could be used at some future point to throw the book at intransigent cabbies (unlikely given DC's poorly-functioning bureaucracy, but still theoretically possible). That's to say...if a cabbie doesn't have a meter on June 1st and had racked up hundreds of warnings, maybe the city can haul that cabbie before an administrative judge who could mete out an appropriate punishment (e.g., license suspended, cab impounded, firing squad, etc.)? If the warnings were for something not covered under the law, the cabbie would be able to claim they hadn't been properly warned.

Brennan

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:43:16 -0500

I love how people correct one another on DCist. It's so DC. LAME!

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:17:08 -0500

Full diameter of the circle?

cactus jack

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:03:21 -0500

Wouldn't full circle mean that you're back to being pro-zones? Today is a Pedantic Friday, isn't it? If not, nevermind.

DAJ

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:55:37 -0500

I have come full circle on the whole issue. At first I was totally pro zones. I like the system, like that tourists get screwed and hate that some jackass from Michigan stuck his nose in our business. Then I figured Fenty is for meters they must not be so bad, might save me a few bucks but I don't want to loose independent taxi operators. Then this argument was made to me and made me pro-meter: This isn't about regulation (the city isn't imposing a cab restriction like there is in NYC, or changing the fare (which is a separate topic), this is about tax collection. Under the zone system there is no accountability for the amount a driver brings in each day/year and since it is almost all cash based there is no way for the city to monitor and collect taxes. The drivers don't want to switch over because they don't want to pay their share of income taxes. With meters there will be a written trail of how much a driver brings in and therefore a record of what is owed to the city. If some store wasn't paying their sales tax there would be a backlash. The drivers need to pony up and pay their share like every other business in town. If a cabbie wants my money, he is going to abide by the law, drive a safe car and pay his taxes just like everyone else.

suances

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:52:48 -0500

A warning ticket "displaying" a $1,000 fine that they don't actually have to pay? Yeah, that'll scare them. Since it's not going to be enforced, why not make the penalty "displayed" on the ticket a million dollars, life in prison, or a beheading? This is silly. Obviously, they're being granted the month, so why not just say it?

Bethesdaist

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:39:05 -0500

After looking at the "Dance is the Answer" post, I've decided to jitterbug to all of my appointments.

Sommer Mathis

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:34:49 -0500

PSUPaulie, here's what the statement from the mayor's office says: Drivers who do not meet the terms of the new regulations between May 1 and May 31 will receive a warning ticket displaying a $1,000 fine every time they are caught picking up riders without meters. Beginning June 1, taxicab drivers will no longer receive warnings and will be expected to pay the fine in full. Taxi inspectors will spot-check both meters in cabs as well as the technicians that install the meters. The Metropolitan Police Department will also be assisting taxi inspectors in ticketing.

sordid

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:30:18 -0500

I'm tired of this already, can't we just throw the cabbies in the Potomac?

PSUPaulie

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:27:34 -0500

Sommer, I think your understanding of the warnings is incorrect. If I remember correctly, as soon as they get a warning, they need to get the meter installed or face the $1000 per ride fine. I could be wrong, though.

cminus

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:46:46 -0500

I really doubt they can, UMan. It's not like the zone system, where in theory every trip between two identical points costs the same. (In theory. In theory, Communism works.) Fares for the new meters will depend upon the route taken, the amount of traffic, whether your cabbie is willing to run yellow lights, and any number of other considerations. The Washington Post took a stab at setting up a fare estimation widget, but the fares they show are typically given within a $3 to $5 range. (At least for the trips I usually take. People who just make short hops may get more precise estimates.)

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:42:28 -0500

I will put on my ruby slippers, tap them together three times, and wish my way to my destination.

ces12

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:37:09 -0500

I want to know what the 'other' options are.

drew in adams morgan

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:35:42 -0500

UMan: This is a calculator on the Washington Post's website that can help you out. Taxi Fare Estimator

IMGoph

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:32:27 -0500

uman: here's what you're looking for—taxi fare estimator

Andrew Wiseman

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:29:17 -0500

I want these meters now just because it will piss off the cabbies.

guest33

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:27:28 -0500

Taking a cab in DC has always been a contentious activity. This month is going to get really intense. http://craptasticcabsofdc.blogspot.com/

monkeyrotica

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:26:19 -0500

Just do like I do: tie a bindle to a stick, dust off your thumb, make a cardboard sign that says "ANYWHERE" and hit the road. All you need is a pockeful of dreams, a song in your heart, and a rag soaked in chloroform. Duct tape and a sap help, too!

UMan

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:17:49 -0500

Can y'all post a fare calculator so that we can know how much it *should* cost?